U.S. patent number 10,769,912 [Application Number 15/933,776] was granted by the patent office on 2020-09-08 for streaming and storing audio/video content captured by audio/video recording and communication devices.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Amazon Technologies, Inc.. Invention is credited to Jason Gluckman, Trevor Phillips, Joshua Roth.
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United States Patent |
10,769,912 |
Roth , et al. |
September 8, 2020 |
Streaming and storing audio/video content captured by audio/video
recording and communication devices
Abstract
Streaming and storing content captured by audio/video (A/V)
recording and communication devices in accordance with various
embodiments of the present disclosure are provided. In one
embodiment, a method for transmitting and storing video images
captured by an A/V recording and communication device including a
camera and memory is provided, the method comprising: capturing
video images of a field of view of the camera; detecting a person
at the A/V recording and communication device; in response to
detecting the person, storing a high-quality version of the video
images at the memory of the A/V recording and communication device;
determining an available network bit rate for video streaming; if
the available network bit rate is above a threshold, then
transmitting a high-quality video stream to a client device; and if
the available network bit rate is below the threshold, then
transmitting a low-quality video stream to the client device.
Inventors: |
Roth; Joshua (Pacific
Palisades, CA), Phillips; Trevor (Los Angeles, CA),
Gluckman; Jason (San Diego, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Amazon Technologies, Inc. |
Seattle |
WA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Amazon Technologies, Inc.
(Seattle, WA)
|
Family
ID: |
1000005043641 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/933,776 |
Filed: |
March 23, 2018 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20180276961 A1 |
Sep 27, 2018 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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62475494 |
Mar 23, 2017 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N
7/188 (20130101); G08B 13/19669 (20130101); G08B
3/10 (20130101); G08B 13/19658 (20130101); H04N
7/186 (20130101); G08B 13/19656 (20130101); G08B
13/19667 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G08B
13/196 (20060101); H04N 7/18 (20060101); G08B
3/10 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
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Primary Examiner: Bantamoi; Anthony
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to provisional application Ser.
No. 62/475,494, filed on Mar. 23, 2017, the entire contents of
which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for transmitting and storing video images captured by a
camera of an audio/video recording and communication device (A/V
device), the method comprising: capturing, using the camera, video
images representing a field of view of the camera; detecting a
person at the A/V device; in response to detecting the person at
the A/V device, storing a high-quality version of the video images
in a memory of the A/V device, wherein the high-quality version of
the video images is stored in the memory independent of an
available network bit rate for video streaming; determining that
the available network bit rate for video streaming is below a
threshold; based on the determining that the available network bit
rate for video streaming is below the threshold, transmitting a
low-quality video stream to a client device; terminating
transmission of the low-quality video stream to the client device;
and after the transmission of the low-quality video stream is
terminated, uploading the high-quality version of the video images
from the memory of the A/V device to a remote storage device.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before detecting the
person at the A/V device, buffering the video images captured by
the camera of the A/V device.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the person at the A/V
device comprises detecting motion within the field of view of the
camera.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the A/V device comprises a
doorbell having a button.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting the person at the A/V
device comprises detecting that the button has been pressed.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the A/V device further comprises
a microphone.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, in response to
detecting the person at the A/V device, capturing audio from the
person and storing the audio in the memory of the A/V device.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising uploading the stored
audio to the remote storage device.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the high-quality version of the
video images comprises a high framerate, a high bitrate, and/or a
high image resolution.
10. An audio/video recording and communication device (A/V device)
comprising: a camera; a processor operatively connected to the
camera; and a memory storing code that, when executed by the
processor, causes the A/V device to: detect a person at the A/V
device; capture, using the camera, video images of the person at
the A/V device; determine an available network bit rate for video
streaming; transmit a video stream to a client device, wherein
transmission of the video stream comprises: if the available
network bit rate for video streaming is above a threshold, then
transmit a high-quality version of the video images to the client
device; and if the available network bit rate for video streaming
is below the threshold, then transmit a low-quality version of the
video images to the client device; store the high-quality version
of the video images in the memory of the A/V device, wherein the
high-quality version of the video images is stored in the memory
independent of the available network bit rate for video streaming;
terminate transmission of the video stream to the client device;
and after the transmission of the video stream is terminated,
upload the high-quality version of the video images from the memory
of the A/V device to a remote storage device.
11. The A/V device of claim 10, wherein the memory stores further
code that, when executed by the processor, further causes the A/V
device to, before detecting the person at the A/V device, buffer
the video images captured by the camera of the A/V device.
12. The A/V device of claim 10, wherein detecting the person at the
A/V device comprises detecting motion within a field of view of the
camera.
13. The A/V device of claim 10, wherein the A/V device further
comprises a doorbell having a button.
14. The A/V device of claim 13, wherein detecting the person at the
A/V device comprises detecting that the button has been
pressed.
15. The A/V device of claim 10, wherein the A/V device further
comprises a microphone.
16. The A/V device of claim 15, wherein the memory stores further
code that, when executed by the processor, further causes the A/V
device to, in response to detecting the person at the A/V device,
capture audio from the person and store the audio in the memory of
the A/V device.
17. The A/V device of claim 16, wherein the memory stores further
code that, when executed by the processor, further causes the A/V
device to upload the stored audio to the remote storage device.
18. The A/V device of claim 10, wherein the high-quality version of
the video images comprises a high framerate, a high bitrate, and/or
a high image resolution.
19. A method for transmitting and storing video images captured by
a camera of an audio/video recording and communication device (A/V
device), the method comprising: capturing, using the camera, video
images representing a field of view of the camera; detecting a
person at the A/V device; in response to detecting the person at
the A/V device, storing a high-quality version of the video images
in a memory of the A/V device, wherein the high-quality version of
the video images is stored in the memory independent of an
available network bit rate for video streaming; determining that
the available network bit rate for video streaming is above a
threshold; based on the determining that the available network bit
rate for video streaming is above the threshold, transmitting a
high-quality video stream to a client device; terminating
transmission of the high-quality video stream to the client device;
and after the transmission of the high-quality video stream is
terminated, uploading the high-quality version of the video images
from the memory of the A/V device to a remote storage device.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present embodiments relate to audio/video (A/V) recording and
communication devices, including A/V recording and communication
doorbells. In particular, the present embodiments relate to
improvements in the functionality of A/V recording and
communication devices that strengthen the ability of such devices
to reduce crime and enhance public safety.
BACKGROUND
Home safety is a concern for many homeowners and renters. Those
seeking to protect or monitor their homes often wish to have video
and audio communications with visitors, for example, those visiting
an external door or entryway. Audio/Video (A/V) recording and
communication devices, such as doorbells, provide this
functionality, and can also aid in crime detection and prevention.
For example, audio and/or video captured by an A/V recording and
communication device can be uploaded to the cloud and recorded on a
remote server. Subsequent review of the A/V footage can aid law
enforcement in capturing perpetrators of home burglaries and other
crimes. Further, the presence of one or more A/V recording and
communication devices on the exterior of a home, such as a doorbell
unit at the entrance to the home, acts as a powerful deterrent
against would-be burglars.
SUMMARY
The present embodiments have several features, no single one of
which is solely responsible for their desirable attributes. Without
limiting the scope of the present embodiments as expressed by the
claims that follow, their more prominent features now will be
discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and
particularly after reading the section entitled "Detailed
Description," one will understand how the features of the present
embodiments provide the advantages described herein.
One aspect of the present embodiments includes the realization that
current techniques for recording A/V footage with A/V recording and
communication devices frequently do not capture high-quality A/V
footage because of limitations in available streaming bandwidth at
the time the A/V footage is captured, and/or because of lost
packets in the data stream. The present embodiments solve this
problem by decoupling the streaming A/V signal from the recorded
A/V signal, and uploading the video footage from the recorded A/V
signal after the call between the A/V recording and communication
device and the user's client device has terminated.
In a first aspect, a method for transmitting and storing video
images captured by an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication
device is provided, the A/V recording and communication device
including a camera and memory, the method comprising the camera of
the A/V recording and communication device capturing video images
of a field of view of the camera, the A/V recording and
communication device detecting a person at the A/V recording and
communication device, in response to detecting the person at the
A/V recording and communication device, storing a high-quality
version of the video images at the memory of the A/V recording and
communication device in a first video signal, determining an
available network bit rate for video streaming, if the available
network bit rate for video streaming is above a threshold, then
transmitting a high-quality video stream to a client device in a
second video signal, and if the available network bit rate for
video streaming is below the threshold, then transmitting a
low-quality video stream to the client device in the second video
signal.
An embodiment of the first aspect further comprises, before
detecting the person at the A/V recording and communication device,
buffering the video images captured by the camera of the A/V
recording and communication device.
Another embodiment of the first aspect further comprises uploading
the stored high-quality version of the video images to a remote
storage device.
In another embodiment of the first aspect, the detecting the person
at the A/V recording and communication device comprises detecting
motion within the field of view of the camera.
In another embodiment of the first aspect, the A/V recording and
communication device comprises a doorbell having a button.
In another embodiment of the first aspect, detecting the person at
the A/V recording and communication device comprises detecting that
the button has been pressed.
In another embodiment of the first aspect, the A/V recording and
communication device further comprises a microphone.
Another embodiment of the first aspect further comprises, in
response to detecting the person at the A/V recording and
communication device, capturing audio from the person and storing
the audio at the memory of the A/V recording and communication
device.
Another embodiment of the first aspect further comprises uploading
the stored audio to a remote storage device.
In another embodiment of the first aspect, the high-quality version
of the video images comprises a high framerate, a high bitrate,
and/or a high image resolution.
In a second aspect, an audio/video (A/V) recording and
communication device configured to be located near an entrance to a
structure is provided, the A/V recording and communication device
comprising a camera, a processor, and a memory, wherein the memory
stores code operable by the processor for detecting a person at the
A/V recording and communication device, the camera capturing video
images of the person at the A/V recording and communication device,
determining an available network bit rate for video streaming, if
the available network bit rate for video streaming is above a
threshold, then transmitting a high-quality version of the video
images to a client device in a second video signal, and storing the
high-quality version of the video images at the memory of the A/V
recording and communication device in a first video signal, and if
the available network bit rate for video streaming is below the
threshold, then transmitting a low-quality version of the video
images to the client device in the second video signal, and storing
the high-quality version of the video images at the memory of the
A/V recording and communication device in the first video
signal.
In an embodiment of the second aspect, the code is further operable
by the processor for, before detecting the person at the A/V
recording and communication device, buffering the video images
captured by the camera of the A/V recording and communication
device.
In another embodiment of the second aspect, the code is further
operable by the processor for uploading the stored high-quality
version of the video images to a remote storage device.
In another embodiment of the second aspect, detecting the person at
the A/V recording and communication device comprises detecting
motion within the field of view of the camera.
In another embodiment of the second aspect, the A/V recording and
communication device comprises a doorbell having a button.
In another embodiment of the second aspect, detecting the person at
the A/V recording and communication device comprises detecting that
the button has been pressed.
In another embodiment of the second aspect, the A/V recording and
communication device further comprises a microphone.
In another embodiment of the second aspect, the code is further
operable by the processor for, in response to detecting the person
at the A/V recording and communication device, capturing audio from
the person and storing the audio at the memory of the A/V recording
and communication device.
In another embodiment of the second aspect, the code is further
operable by the processor for uploading the stored audio to a
remote storage device.
In another embodiment of the second aspect, the high-quality
version of the video images comprises a high framerate, a high
bitrate, and/or a high image resolution.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present embodiments now will be discussed in detail with an
emphasis on highlighting the advantageous features. These
embodiments depict the novel and non-obvious apparatus, systems,
and methods for streaming and storing audio and video content
captured by an A/V recording and communication device shown in the
accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only.
These drawings include the following figures, in which like
numerals indicate like parts:
FIG. 1A is a functional block diagram illustrating a system for
streaming and storing audio/video content captured by an A/V
recording and communication device;
FIG. 1B is a flowchart illustrating a process for streaming and
storing A/V content from an A/V recording and communication
doorbell system;
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a system for
streaming and storing audio/video content captured by an A/V
recording and communication device according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating an embodiment of
an A/V recording and communication doorbell according to the
present disclosure;
FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of an A/V
recording and communication doorbell according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a partially exploded front perspective view of the A/V
recording and communication doorbell of FIG. 4 showing the cover
removed;
FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 are front perspective views of various internal
components of the A/V recording and communication doorbell of FIG.
4;
FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of another embodiment of an
infrared (IR) light-emitting diode (LED) printed circuit board
(PCB) according to various aspects of the present disclosure;
FIG. 10 is a right-side cross-sectional view of the A/V recording
and communication doorbell of FIG. 4 taken through the line 10-10
in FIG. 4;
FIGS. 11-13 are rear perspective views of various internal
components of the A/V recording and communication doorbell of FIG.
4;
FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating another method for streaming
and storing A/V content captured by an A/V recording and
communication devices according to the present embodiments;
FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram illustrating a method for streaming
and storing A/V content captured by an A/V recording and
communication device according to the present embodiments;
FIG. 16 is a functional block diagram of a client device on which
the present embodiments may be implemented according to various
aspects of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 17 is a functional block diagram of a general-purpose
computing system on which the present embodiments may be
implemented according to various aspects of present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following detailed description describes the present
embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the drawings,
reference numbers label elements of the present embodiments. These
reference numbers are reproduced below in connection with the
discussion of the corresponding drawing features.
With reference to FIG. 1A, the present embodiments include an
audio/video (A/V) recording and communication doorbell 100. While
the present disclosure provides numerous examples of methods and
systems including A/V recording and communication doorbells, the
present embodiments are equally applicable for A/V recording and
communication devices other than doorbells. For example, the
present embodiments may include one or more A/V recording and
communication security cameras instead of, or in addition to, one
or more A/V recording and communication doorbells. An example A/V
recording and communication security camera may include
substantially all of the structure and functionality of the
doorbells described herein, but without the front button and
related components.
The A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 is typically
located near the entrance to a structure (not shown), such as a
dwelling, a business, a storage facility, etc., or in any other
location. The A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 includes
a camera 102, a microphone 104, and a speaker 106. The camera 102
may comprise, for example, a high definition (HD) video camera,
such as one capable of capturing video images at an image display
resolution of 1080p or better. While not shown, the A/V recording
and communication doorbell 100 may also include other hardware
and/or components, such as a housing, one or more motion sensors
(and/or other types of sensors), a button, etc. The A/V recording
and communication doorbell 100 may further include similar
componentry and/or functionality as the wireless communication
doorbells described in any of US Patent Application Publication
Nos. 2015/0022620 (application Ser. No. 14/499,828), 2015/0022618
(application Ser. No. 14/334,922), Application Ser. No. 62/308,746,
filed on Mar. 15, 2016 and entitled Low-Power-Consumption
Audio/Video Recording and Communication Doorbell, application Ser.
No. 15/459,076, filed on Mar. 15, 2017 and entitled
Low-Power-Consumption Audio/Video Recording and Communication
Doorbell, and application Ser. No. 15/459,087, filed on Mar. 15,
2017 and entitled Low-Power-Consumption Audio/Video Recording and
Communication Doorbell. All of these prior applications are
incorporated herein by reference in their entireties as if fully
set forth.
With further reference to FIG. 1A, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100 communicates with a user's network 110,
which may be, for example, a wired and/or wireless network. If the
user's network 110 is wireless, or includes a wireless component,
the network 110 may be a Wi-Fi network compatible with the IEEE
802.11 standard and/or other wireless communication standard(s).
The user's network 110 is connected to another network 112, which
may comprise, for example, the Internet and/or a public switched
telephone network (PSTN). As described below, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100 may communicate with the user's client
device 114 via the user's network 110 and the network 112
(Internet/PSTN). The user's client device 114 may comprise, for
example, a mobile telephone (may also be referred to as a cellular
telephone), such as a smartphone, a personal digital assistant
(PDA), or another communication device. The user's client device
114 comprises a display (not shown) and related components capable
of displaying streaming and/or recorded video images. The user's
client device 114 may also comprise a speaker and related
components capable of broadcasting streaming and/or recorded audio,
and may also comprise a microphone. The A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100 may also communicate with one or more
remote storage device(s) 116 (may be referred to interchangeably as
"cloud storage device(s)"), one or more servers 118, and/or a
backend API (application programming interface) 120 via the user's
network 110 and the network 112 (Internet/PSTN). In some
embodiments, the server 118 may comprise an application server.
While FIG. 1 illustrates the storage device 116, the server 118,
and the backend API 120 as components separate from the network
112, it is to be understood that the storage device 116, the server
118, and/or the backend API 120 may be considered to be components
of the network 112.
In one or more embodiments, the application server 118 may comprise
a backend API including one or more components. A backend API
(application programming interface) may comprise, for example, a
server (e.g. a real server, or a virtual machine, or a machine
running in a cloud infrastructure as a service), or multiple
servers networked together, exposing at least one API to client(s)
accessing it. These servers may include components such as
application servers (e.g. software servers), depending upon what
other components are included, such as a caching layer, or database
layers, or other components. A backend API may, for example,
comprise many such applications, each of which communicate with one
another using their public APIs. In some embodiments, the API
backend may hold the bulk of the user data and offer the user
management capabilities, leaving the clients to have very limited
state.
The network 112 may be any wireless network or any wired network,
or a combination thereof, configured to operatively couple the
above mentioned modules, devices, and systems as shown in FIG. 1.
For example, the network 112 may include one or more of the
following: a PSTN (public switched telephone network), the
Internet, a local intranet, a PAN (Personal Area Network), a LAN
(Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a MAN
(Metropolitan Area Network), a virtual private network (VPN), a
storage area network (SAN), a frame relay connection, an Advanced
Intelligent Network (AIN) connection, a synchronous optical network
(SONET) connection, a digital T1, T3, E1 or E3 line, a Digital Data
Service (DDS) connection, a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
connection, an Ethernet connection, an ISDN (Integrated Services
Digital Network) line, a dial-up port such as a V.90, V.34, or
V.34bis analog modem connection, a cable modem, an ATM
(Asynchronous Transfer Mode) connection, or an FDDI (Fiber
Distributed Data Interface) or CDDI (Copper Distributed Data
Interface) connection. Furthermore, communications may also include
links to any of a variety of wireless networks, including WAP
(Wireless Application Protocol), GPRS (General Packet Radio
Service), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), LTE, VoLTE,
LoRaWAN, LPWAN, RPMA, LTE, Cat-"X" (e.g. LTE Cat 1, LTE Cat 0, LTE
CatM1, LTE Cat NB1), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), TDMA
(Time Division Multiple Access), FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple
Access), and/or OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple
Access) cellular phone networks, GPS, CDPD (cellular digital packet
data), RIM (Research in Motion, Limited) duplex paging network,
Bluetooth radio, or an IEEE 802.11-based radio frequency network.
The network can further include or interface with any one or more
of the following: RS-232 serial connection, IEEE-1394 (Firewire)
connection, Fibre Channel connection, IrDA (infrared) port, SCSI
(Small Computer Systems Interface) connection, USB (Universal
Serial Bus) connection, or other wired or wireless, digital or
analog, interface or connection, mesh or Digi.RTM. networking.
According to one or more aspects of the present embodiments, when a
person (may be referred to interchangeably as "visitor") arrives at
the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100, the A/V recording
and communication doorbell 100 detects the visitor's presence and
begins capturing video images within a field of view of the camera
102. The A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 may also
capture audio through the microphone 104. The A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100 may detect the visitor's presence using
a motion sensor, and/or by detecting that the visitor has pressed
the button on the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100.
In response to the detection of the visitor, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100 sends an alert to the user's client
device 114 (FIG. 1A) via the user's network 110 and the network
112. The A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 also sends
streaming video, and may also send streaming audio, to the user's
client device 114. If the user answers the alert, two-way audio
communication may then occur between the visitor and the user
through the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 and the
user's client device 114. The user may view the visitor throughout
the duration of the call, but the visitor cannot see the user
(unless the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 includes a
display, which it may in some embodiments).
The video images captured by the camera 102 of the A/V recording
and communication doorbell 100 (and the audio captured by the
microphone 104) may be uploaded to the cloud and recorded on the
remote storage device 116 (FIG. 1A). In some embodiments, the video
and/or audio may be recorded on the remote storage device 116 even
if the user chooses to ignore the alert sent to his or her client
device 114.
With further reference to FIG. 1, the system may further comprise a
backend API 120 including one or more components. A backend API
(application programming interface) may comprise, for example, a
server (e.g. a real server, or a virtual machine, or a machine
running in a cloud infrastructure as a service), or multiple
servers networked together, exposing at least one API to client(s)
accessing it. These servers may include components such as
application servers (e.g. software servers), depending upon what
other components are included, such as a caching layer, or database
layers, or other components. A backend API may, for example,
comprise many such applications, each of which communicate with one
another using their public APIs. In some embodiments, the API
backend may hold the bulk of the user data and offer the user
management capabilities, leaving the clients to have a very limited
state.
The backend API 120 illustrated in FIG. 1 may include one or more
APIs. An API is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for
building software and applications. An API expresses a software
component in terms of its operations, inputs, outputs, and
underlying types, and defines functionalities that are independent
of their respective implementations, which allows definitions and
implementations to vary without compromising the interface.
Advantageously, an API may provide a programmer with access to an
application's functionality without the programmer needing to
modify the application itself, or even understand how the
application works. An API may be for a web-based system, an
operating system, or a database system, and it provides facilities
to develop applications for that system using a given programming
language. In addition to accessing databases or computer hardware
like hard disk drives or video cards, an API can ease the work of
programming GUI components. For example, an API can facilitate
integration of new features into existing applications (a so-called
"plug-in API"). An API can also assist otherwise distinct
applications with sharing data, which can help to integrate and
enhance the functionalities of the applications.
The backend API 120 illustrated in FIG. 1 may further include one
or more services (also referred to as network services). A network
service is an application that provides data storage, manipulation,
presentation, communication, and/or other capability. Network
services are often implemented using a client-server architecture
based on application-layer network protocols. Each service may be
provided by a server component running on one or more computers
(such as a dedicated server computer offering multiple services)
and accessed via a network by client components running on other
devices. However, the client and server components can both be run
on the same machine. Clients and servers may have a user interface,
and sometimes other hardware associated with them.
FIG. 1B is a flowchart illustrating a process for streaming and
storing A/V content from an A/V recording and communication
doorbell system, such as the system illustrated in FIG. 1A. At
block B200, the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100
detects the visitor's presence and begins capturing video images
within a field of view of the camera 102. The A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100 may also capture audio through the
microphone 104. As described above, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100 may detect the visitor's presence by
detecting motion using the camera 102 and/or a motion sensor,
and/or by detecting that the visitor has pressed the button on the
A/V recording and communication doorbell 100.
At block B202, a communication module of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100 sends a request, via the user's network
110 and the network 112, to a device in the network 112. For
example, the network device to which the request is sent may be an
application server, such as the application server 118. The
application server 118 may comprise a computer program and/or a
machine that waits for requests from other machines or software
(clients) and responds to them. A server typically processes data.
One purpose of a server is to share data and/or hardware and/or
software resources among clients. This architecture is called the
client-server model. The clients may run on the same computer or
may connect to the server over a network. Examples of computing
servers include database servers, file servers, mail servers, print
servers, web servers, game servers, and application servers. The
term server may be construed broadly to include any computerized
process that shares a resource to one or more client processes.
In response to the request, at block B204 the network device may
connect the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 to the
user's client device 114 through the user's network 110 and the
network 112. At block B206, the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 100 may record available audio and/or video data using the
camera 102, the microphone 104, and/or any other sensor available.
At block B208, the audio and/or video data is transmitted
(streamed) from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 to
the user's client device 114 via the user's network 110 and the
network 112. At block B210, the user may receive a notification on
his or her client device 114 with a prompt to either accept or deny
the call.
At block B212, the process determines whether the user has accepted
or denied the call. If the user denies the notification, then the
process advances to block B214, where the audio and/or video data
is recorded and stored at a cloud server. The session then ends at
block B216 and the connection between the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100 and the user's client device 114 is
terminated. If, however, the user accepts the notification, then at
block B218 the user communicates with the visitor through the
user's client device 114 while audio and/or video data captured by
the camera 102, the microphone 104, and/or other sensors is
streamed to the user's client device 114. At the end of the call,
the user may terminate the connection between the user's client
device 114 and the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 and
the session ends at block B216. In some embodiments, the audio
and/or video data may be recorded and stored at a cloud server
(block B214) even if the user accepts the notification and
communicates with the visitor through the user's client device
114.
In A/V recording and communication doorbell systems other than the
present embodiments, the quality of the video and/or audio recorded
on the remote storage device may be negatively impacted by a low
network bit rate for the video stream that is transmitted to the
user's client device. For example, during the transmission of the
streaming video from the A/V recording and communication doorbell
to the user's client device, if the available network bit rate is
relatively low, then the video quality must be reduced to provide a
usable video stream to the user's client device. Then, because the
video that is stored at the remote storage device is the same as
the video that is streamed to the user's client device, if the
quality of the streaming video is low, so too is the quality of the
stored video. The present embodiments overcome this problem by
decoupling the streaming video signal, which is sent to the user's
client device, from the stored video signal, which is stored at a
local memory of the A/V recording and communication device and
later uploaded to the cloud (the remote storage device). The stored
video signal is thus high-quality, regardless of the available
network bit rate at the time the streaming video signal is sent to
the user's client device. When the locally stored high-quality
video is later uploaded to the remote storage device, its
high-quality can be preserved, regardless of the available network
bit rate at the time of upload, because it doesn't matter how much
time is required to complete the upload. The present embodiments
thus consistently provide high-quality uploaded video footage that
can be preserved for later viewing, such as by law enforcement to
aid in the identification of criminals, which can lead to lower
crime rates and safer neighborhoods. The high-quality uploaded
video footage may include a high framerate, a high bitrate, and/or
a high image resolution (such as 720p or 1080p or better).
With reference to FIG. 2, the present A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 further includes memory/storage 122 (may
be referred to interchangeably as memory 122 or storage 122). The
memory 122 may comprise, for example, volatile memory, such as RAM,
and/or non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, a hard disk
device, an optical disk device, or any other type of
memory/storage. As described in detail below, the A/V recording and
communication device 130 records video footage, streams video
footage to the user's client device 114, and uploads video footage
to the remote storage device 116. The process advantageously
decouples the streaming video signal, which is sent to the user's
client device 114, from the stored video signal, which is stored at
the local memory 122 of the A/V recording and communication device
130 and later uploaded to the cloud (the remote storage device
116). The stored video signal is thus high-quality, regardless of
the available network bit rate at the time the streaming video
signal is sent to the user's client device 114. The high-quality
stored video signal may include a high framerate, a high bitrate,
and/or a high image resolution (such as 720p or 1080p or
better).
Many current A/V recording and communication doorbell systems
(other than the present embodiments) are incompatible with existing
wired doorbell systems. One reason for this incompatibility is that
the A/V recording and communication doorbell draws an amount of
power from the household AC electrical power supply that is above
the threshold necessary for causing the signaling device to sound.
The A/V recording and communication doorbell thus causes frequent
inadvertent sounding of the signaling device, which is not only
bothersome to the home's occupant(s), but also undermines the
usefulness of the doorbell. The present embodiments solve this
problem by limiting the power consumption of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell to an amount that is below the threshold
necessary for causing the signaling device to sound. Embodiments of
the present A/V recording and communication doorbell can thus be
connected to the existing household AC power supply and the
existing signaling device without causing inadvertent sounding of
the signaling device.
Several advantages flow from the ability of the present embodiments
to be connected to the existing household AC power supply. For
example, the camera of the present A/V recording and communication
doorbell can be powered on continuously. In a typical
battery-powered A/V recording and communication doorbell, the
camera is powered on only part of the time so that the battery does
not drain too rapidly. The present embodiments, by contrast, do not
rely on a battery as a primary (or sole) power supply, and are thus
able to keep the camera powered on continuously. Because the camera
is able to be powered on continuously, it can always be recording,
and recorded footage can be continuously stored in a rolling buffer
and/or a sliding window. In some embodiments, about 10-15 seconds
of recorded footage can be continuously stored in the rolling
buffer and/or the sliding window. The buffered video footage may be
accompanied by buffered audio, as the microphone 150 may also be
powered on continuously and always capturing audio. Also because
the camera is able to be powered on continuously, it can be used
for motion detection, thus eliminating any need for a separate
motion detection device, such as a passive infrared sensor (PIR).
Eliminating the PIR simplifies the design of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell and enables the doorbell to be made more
compact. Also because the camera is able to be powered on
continuously, it can be used as a light detector for use in
controlling the current state of the IR cut filter and turning the
IR LED on and off. Using the camera as a light detector eliminates
any need for a separate light detector, thereby further simplifying
the design of the A/V recording and communication doorbell and
enabling the doorbell to be made even more compact.
FIGS. 3-13 illustrate one embodiment of a low-power-consumption A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 according to various
aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a functional block
diagram illustrating various components of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 and their relationships to one another.
For example, the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130
includes a pair of terminals 131, 132 configured to be connected to
a source of external AC (alternating-current) power, such as a
household AC power supply 134 (may also be referred to as AC
mains). The AC power 134 may have a voltage in the range of 16-24
VAC, for example. The incoming AC power 134 may be converted to DC
(direct-current) by an AC/DC rectifier 136. An output of the AC/DC
rectifier 136 may be connected to an input of a DC/DC converter
138, which may step down the voltage from the output of the AC/DC
rectifier 136 from 16-24 VDC to a lower voltage of about 5 VDC, for
example. In various embodiments, the output of the DC/DC converter
138 may be in a range of from about 2.5 V to about 7.5 V, for
example.
With further reference to FIG. 3, the output of the DC/DC converter
138 is connected to a power manager 140, which may comprise an
integrated circuit including a processor core, memory, and/or
programmable input/output peripherals. In one non-limiting example,
the power manager 140 may be an off-the-shelf component, such as
the BQ24773 chip manufactured by Texas Instruments. As described in
detail below, the power manager 140 controls, among other things,
an amount of power drawn from the external power supply 134, as
well as an amount of supplemental power drawn from a battery 142,
to power the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130. The
power manager 140 may, for example, limit the amount of power drawn
from the external power supply 134 so that a threshold power draw
is not exceeded. In one non-limiting example, the threshold power,
as measured at the output of the DC/DC converter 138, may be equal
to 1.4 A. The power manager 140 may also control an amount of power
drawn from the external power supply 134 and directed to the
battery 142 for recharging of the battery 142. An output of the
power manager 140 is connected to a power sequencer 144, which
controls a sequence of power delivery to other components of the
A/V recording and communication doorbell 130, including a
communication module 146, a front button 148, a microphone 150, a
speaker driver 151, a speaker 152, an audio CODEC (Coder-DECoder)
153, a camera 154, an infrared (IR) light source 156, an IR cut
filter 158, a processor 160 (may also be referred to as a
controller 160), a plurality of light indicators 162, and a
controller 164 for the light indicators 162. Each of these
components is described in detail below. The power sequencer 144
may comprise an integrated circuit including a processor core,
memory, and/or programmable input/output peripherals. In one
non-limiting example, the power sequencer 144 may be an
off-the-shelf component, such as the RT5024 chip manufactured by
Richtek.
With further reference to FIG. 3, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 further comprises an electronic switch
166 that closes when the front button 148 is pressed. When the
electronic switch 166 closes, power from the AC power source 134 is
diverted through a signaling device 168 that is external to the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 to cause the signaling
device 168 to emit a sound, as further described below. In one
non-limiting example, the electronic switch 166 may be a triac
device. The A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 further
comprises a reset button 170 configured to initiate a hard reset of
the processor 160, as further described below.
With further reference to FIG. 3, the processor 160 may perform
data processing and various other functions, as described below.
The processor 160 may comprise an integrated circuit including a
processor core, memory 172, non-volatile memory 174, and/or
programmable input/output peripherals (not shown). The memory 172
may comprise, for example, DDR3 (double data rate type three
synchronous dynamic random-access memory). The non-volatile memory
174 may comprise, for example, NAND flash memory. Either or both of
the memory 172 and the non-volatile memory 174 may correspond to
the memory/storage 122 illustrated in FIG. 2. In the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 3, the memory 172 and the non-volatile memory
174 are illustrated within the box representing the processor 160.
It is to be understood that the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 is
merely an example, and in some embodiments the memory 172 and/or
the non-volatile memory 174 are not necessarily physically
incorporated with the processor 160. The memory 172 and/or the
non-volatile memory 174, regardless of their physical location, may
be shared by one or more other components (in addition to the
processor 160) of the present A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130.
The transfer of digital audio between the user and a visitor may be
compressed and decompressed using the audio CODEC 153, which is
operatively coupled to the processor 160. When the visitor speaks,
audio from the visitor is compressed by the audio CODEC 153,
digital audio data is sent through the communication module 146 to
the network 112 via the user's network 110, routed by the
application server 118 and delivered to the user's client device
114. When the user speaks, after being transferred through the
network 112, the user's network 110, and the communication module
146, the digital audio data is decompressed by the audio CODEC 153
and emitted to the visitor through the speaker 152, which is driven
by the speaker driver 151.
With further reference to FIG. 3, some of the present embodiments
may include a shunt 176 connected in parallel with the signaling
device 168. The shunt 176 facilitates the ability of the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 to draw power from the AC
power source 134 without inadvertently triggering the signaling
device 168. The shunt 176, during normal standby operation,
presents a relatively low electrical impedance, such as a few ohms,
across the terminals of the signaling device 168. Most of the
current drawn by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130,
therefore, flows through the shunt 176, and not through the
signaling device 168. The shunt 176, however, contains electronic
circuitry that switches the shunt 176 between a state of low
impedance, such as a few ohms, for example, and a state of high
impedance, such as >1K ohms, for example. When the front button
148 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 is pressed,
the electronic switch 166 closes, causing the voltage from the AC
power source 134 to be impressed mostly across the shunt 176 and
the signaling device 168 in parallel, while a small amount of
voltage, such as about 1V, is impressed across the electronic
switch 166. The circuitry in the shunt 176 senses this voltage, and
switches the shunt 176 to the high impedance state, so that power
from the AC power source 134 is diverted through the signaling
device 168. The diverted AC power 134 is above the threshold
necessary to cause the signaling device 168 to emit a sound.
Pressing the front button 148 of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 therefore causes the signaling device
168 to "ring," alerting any person(s) within the structure to which
the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 is mounted that
there is a visitor at the front door (or at another location
corresponding to the location of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130). In one non-limiting example, the
electronic switch 166 may be a triac device. Further details of the
shunt 176 are described in Application Ser. No. 62/308,746, filed
on Mar. 15, 2016 and entitled Low-Power-Consumption Audio/Video
Recording and Communication Doorbell, which is incorporated herein
by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth.
With reference to FIGS. 4-6, the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 further comprises a housing 178 having an enclosure
180 (FIG. 6), a back plate 182 secured to the rear of the enclosure
180, and a shell 184 overlying the enclosure 180. With reference to
FIG. 6, the shell 184 includes a recess 186 that is sized and
shaped to receive the enclosure 180 in a close fitting engagement,
such that outer surfaces of the enclosure 180 abut conforming inner
surfaces of the shell 184. Exterior dimensions of the enclosure 180
may be closely matched with interior dimensions of the shell 184
such that friction maintains the shell 184 about the enclosure 180.
Alternatively, or in addition, the enclosure 180 and/or the shell
184 may include mating features 188, such as one or more tabs,
grooves, slots, posts, etc. to assist in maintaining the shell 184
about the enclosure 180. The back plate 182 is sized and shaped
such that the edges of the back plate 182 extend outward from the
edges of the enclosure 180, thereby creating a lip 190 against
which the shell 184 abuts when the shell 184 is mated with the
enclosure 180, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In some embodiments,
multiple shells 184 in different colors may be provided so that the
end user may customize the appearance of his or her A/V recording
and communication doorbell 130. For example, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 may be packaged and sold with multiple
shells 184 in different colors in the same package.
With reference to FIG. 4, a front surface of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 includes the button 148 (may also be
referred to as front button 148, FIG. 3), which is operatively
connected to the processor 160. In a process similar to that
described above with reference to FIG. 1B, when a visitor presses
the front button 148, an alert may be sent to the user's client
device 114 to notify the user that someone is at his or her front
door (or at another location corresponding to the location of the
A/V recording and communication doorbell 130). With further
reference to FIG. 4, the A/V recording and communication doorbell
130 further includes the camera 154, which is operatively connected
to the processor 160, and which is located behind a shield 192. As
described in detail below, the camera 154 is configured to capture
video images from within its field of view. Those video images can
be streamed to the user's client device 114 and/or uploaded to a
remote network device for later viewing according to a process
similar to that described above with reference to FIG. 1B.
With reference to FIG. 5, a pair of terminal screws 194 extends
through the back plate 182. The terminal screws 194 are connected
at their inner ends to the terminals 131, 132 (FIG. 3) within the
A/V recording and communication doorbell 130. The terminal screws
194 are configured to receive electrical wires to connect to the
A/V recording and communication doorbell 130, through the terminals
131, 132, to the household AC power supply 134 of the structure on
which the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 is mounted.
In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal screws 194 are located
within a recessed portion 196 of the rear surface 198 of the back
plate 182 so that the terminal screws 194 do not protrude from the
outer envelope of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130.
The A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 can thus be
mounted to a mounting surface with the rear surface 198 of the back
plate 182 abutting the mounting surface. The back plate 182
includes apertures 200 adjacent to its upper and lower edges to
accommodate mounting hardware, such as screws (not shown), for
securing the back plate 182 (and thus the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130) to the mounting surface. With reference
to FIG. 6, the enclosure 180 includes corresponding apertures 202
adjacent its upper and lower edges that align with the apertures
200 in the back plate 182 to accommodate the mounting hardware. In
certain embodiments, the A/V recording and communication doorbell
130 may include a mounting plate or bracket (not shown) to
facilitate securing the A/V recording and communication doorbell
130 to the mounting surface.
With further reference to FIG. 6, the shell 184 includes a central
opening 204 in a front surface. The central opening 204 is sized
and shaped to accommodate the shield 192. In the illustrated
embodiment, the shield 192 is substantially rectangular, and
includes a central opening 206 through which the front button 148
protrudes. The shield 192 defines a plane parallel to and in front
of a front surface 208 of the enclosure 180. When the shell 184 is
mated with the enclosure 180, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 10, the
shield 192 resides within the central opening 204 of the shell 184
such that a front surface 210 of the shield 192 is substantially
flush with a front surface 212 of the shell 184 and there is little
or no gap (FIG. 4) between the outer edges of the shield 192 and
the inner edges of the central opening 204 in the shell 184.
With further reference to FIG. 6, the shield 192 includes an upper
portion 214 (located above and to the sides of the front button
148) and a lower portion 216 (located below and to the sides of the
front button 148). The upper and lower portions 214, 216 of the
shield 192 may be separate pieces, and may comprise different
materials. The upper portion 214 of the shield 192 may be
transparent or translucent so that it does not interfere with the
field of view of the camera 154. For example, in certain
embodiments the upper portion 214 of the shield 192 may comprise
glass or plastic. As described in detail below, the microphone 150,
which is operatively connected to the processor 160, is located
behind the upper portion 214 of the shield 192. The upper portion
214, therefore, may include an opening 218 that facilitates the
passage of sound through the shield 192 so that the microphone 150
is better able to pick up sounds from the area around the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130.
The lower portion 216 of the shield 192 may comprise a material
that is substantially transparent to infrared (IR) light, but
partially or mostly opaque with respect to light in the visible
spectrum. For example, in certain embodiments the lower portion 216
of the shield 192 may comprise a plastic, such as polycarbonate.
The lower portion 216 of the shield 192, therefore, does not
interfere with transmission of IR light from the IR light source
156, which is located behind the lower portion 216. As described in
detail below, the IR light source 156 and the IR cut filter 158,
which are both operatively connected to the processor 160,
facilitate "night vision" functionality of the camera 154.
The upper portion 214 and/or the lower portion 216 of the shield
192 may abut an underlying cover 220 (FIG. 10), which may be
integral with the enclosure 180 or may be a separate piece. The
cover 220, which may be opaque, may include a first opening 222
corresponding to the location of the camera 154, a second opening
(not shown) corresponding to the location of the microphone 150 and
the opening 218 in the upper portion 214 of the shield 192, and a
third opening (not shown) corresponding to the location of the IR
light source 156.
FIGS. 7-10 illustrate various internal components of the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130. FIGS. 7-9 are front
perspective views of the A/V recording and communication doorbell
130 with the shell 184 and the enclosure 180 removed, while FIG. 10
is a right-side cross-sectional view of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 taken through the line 10-10 in FIG. 4.
With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 further comprises a main printed circuit
board (PCB) 224 and a front PCB 226. With reference to FIG. 8, the
front PCB 226 comprises a button actuator 228. With reference to
FIGS. 7, 8, and 10, the front button 148 is located in front of the
button actuator 228. The front button 148 includes a stem 230 (FIG.
10) that extends into the housing 178 to contact the button
actuator 228. When the front button 148 is pressed, the stem 230
depresses the button actuator 228, thereby closing the electronic
switch 166 (FIG. 8), as described below.
With reference to FIG. 8, the front PCB 226 further comprises the
light indicators 162, which may illuminate when the front button
148 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 is pressed.
In the illustrated embodiment, the light indicators 162 comprise
light-emitting diodes (LEDs 162) that are surface mounted to the
front surface of the front PCB 226 and are arranged in a circle
around the button actuator 228. The present embodiments are not
limited to the light indicators 162 being LEDs, and in alternative
embodiments the light indicators 162 may comprise any other type of
light-emitting device. The present embodiments are also not limited
by the number of light indicators 162 shown in FIG. 8, nor by the
pattern in which they are arranged.
With reference to FIG. 7, the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 further comprises a light pipe 232. The light pipe 232
is a transparent or translucent ring that encircles the front
button 148. With reference to FIG. 4, the light pipe 232 resides in
an annular space between the front button 148 and the central
opening 206 in the shield 192, with a front surface 234 of the
light pipe 232 being substantially flush with the front surface 210
of the shield 192. With reference to FIGS. 7 and 10, a rear portion
of light pipe 232 includes a plurality of posts 236 whose positions
correspond to the positions of the LEDs 162. When the LEDs 162 are
illuminated, light is transmitted through the posts 236 and the
body of the light pipe 232 so that the light is visible at the
front surface 234 of the light pipe 232. The LEDs 162 and the light
pipe 232 thus provide a ring of illumination around the front
button 148. The light pipe 232 may comprise a plastic, for example,
or any other suitable material capable of transmitting light.
The LEDs 162 and the light pipe 232 may function as visual
indicators for a visitor and/or a user. For example, the LEDs 162
may illuminate upon activation or stay illuminated continuously. In
one aspect, the LEDs 162 may change color to indicate that the
front button 148 has been pressed. The LEDs 162 may also indicate
that the battery 142 needs recharging, or that the battery 142 is
currently being charged, or that charging of the battery 142 has
been completed. The LEDs 162 may indicate that a connection to the
user's network is good, limited, poor, or not connected. The LEDs
162 may be used to guide the user through setup or installation
steps using visual cues, potentially coupled with audio cues
emitted from the speaker 152.
With further reference to FIG. 7, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 further comprises a rechargeable battery
142. As described in further detail below, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 is connected to an external power source
134 (FIG. 3), such as AC mains. The A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 is primarily powered by the external power source 134,
but may also draw power from the rechargeable battery 142 so as not
to exceed a threshold amount of power from the external power
source 134, to thereby avoid inadvertently sounding the signaling
device 168. With reference to FIG. 3, the battery 142 is
operatively connected to the power manager 140. As described below,
the power manager 140 controls an amount of power drawn from the
battery 142 to supplement the power drawn from the external AC
power source 134 to power the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 when supplemental power is needed. The power manager
140 also controls recharging of the battery 142 using power drawn
from the external power source 134. The battery 142 may comprise,
for example, a lithium-ion battery, or any other type of
rechargeable battery.
With further reference to FIG. 7, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 further comprises the camera 154. The
camera 154 is coupled to a front surface of the front PCB 226, and
includes a lens 238 and an imaging processor 240 (FIG. 9). The
camera lens 238 may be a lens capable of focusing light into the
camera 154 so that clear images may be captured. The camera 154 may
comprise, for example, a high definition (HD) video camera, such as
one capable of capturing video images at an image display
resolution of 1080p or better. In certain of the present
embodiments, the camera 154 may be used to detect motion within its
field of view, as described below.
With further reference to FIG. 7, the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 further comprises an infrared (IR) light
source 242. In the illustrated embodiment, the IR light source 242
comprises an IR light-emitting diode (LED) 242 coupled to an IR LED
printed circuit board (PCB) 244. In alternative embodiments, the IR
LED 242 may not comprise a separate PCB 244, and may, for example,
be coupled to the front PCB 226.
With reference to FIGS. 7 and 10, the IR LED PCB 244 is located
below the front button 148 (FIG. 7) and behind the lower portion
216 of the shield 192 (FIG. 10). As described above, the lower
portion 216 of the shield 192 is transparent to IR light, but may
be opaque with respect to light in the visible spectrum. FIG. 7A
illustrates an alternative embodiment of the IR LED PCB 244'
comprising three IR LEDs 242. In an embodiment including the IR LED
PCB 244' of FIG. 7A, or including any IR LED PCB having more than
one IR LED 242, the size of the third opening in the cover may be
increased to accommodate the larger size of the IR LED PCB
244'.
The IR LED 242 may be triggered to activate when a low level of
ambient light is detected. When activated, IR light emitted from
the IR LED 242 illuminates the camera 154's field of view. The
camera 154, which may be configured to detect IR light, may then
capture the IR light emitted by the IR LED 242 as it reflects off
objects within the camera 154's field of view, so that the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 can clearly capture images
at night (may be referred to as "night vision").
With reference to FIG. 9, the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 further comprises an IR cut filter 158. The IR cut
filter 158 is a mechanical shutter that can be selectively
positioned between the lens 238 and the image sensor of the camera
154. During daylight hours, or whenever there is a sufficient
amount of ambient light, the IR cut filter 158 is positioned
between the lens 238 and the image sensor to filter out IR light so
that it does not distort the colors of images as the human eye sees
them. During nighttime hours, or whenever there is little to no
ambient light, the IR cut filter 158 is withdrawn from the space
between the lens 238 and the image sensor, so that the camera 154
is sensitive to IR light ("night vision"). In some embodiments, the
camera 154 acts as a light detector for use in controlling the
current state of the IR cut filter 158 and turning the IR LED 242
on and off. Using the camera 154 as a light detector is facilitated
in some embodiments by the fact that the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 is powered by a connection to AC mains,
and the camera 154, therefore, is always powered on. In other
embodiments, however, the A/V recording and communication doorbell
130 may include a light sensor separate from the camera 154 for use
in controlling the IR cut filter 158 and the IR LED 242.
With reference back to FIG. 6, the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 further comprises a reset button 170. The reset button
170 contacts a reset button actuator 246 (FIG. 7) coupled to the
front PCB 226. When the reset button 170 is pressed, it may contact
the reset button actuator 246, which may trigger the erasing of any
data stored at the non-volatile memory 174 and/or at the memory 172
(FIG. 3), and/or may trigger a reboot of the processor 160.
FIGS. 11-13 further illustrate internal components of the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130. FIGS. 11-13 are rear
perspective views of the A/V recording and communication doorbell
130 with the back plate 182 and additional components removed. For
example, in FIG. 11 the back plate 182 is removed, while in FIG. 12
the back plate 182 and the main PCB 224 are removed, and in FIG. 13
the back plate 182, the main PCB 224, and the front PCB 226 are
removed. With reference to FIG. 11, several components are coupled
to the rear surface of the main PCB 224, including the
communication module 146, the processor 160, memory 172, and
non-volatile memory 174. The functions of each of these components
are described below. With reference to FIG. 12, several components
are coupled to the rear surface of the front PCB 226, including the
power manager 140, the power sequencer 144, the AC/DC rectifier
136, the DC/DC converter 138, and the controller 164 for the light
indicators 162. The functions of each of these components are also
described below. With reference to FIG. 13, several components are
visible within the enclosure 180, including the microphone 150, a
speaker chamber 248 (in which the speaker 152 is located), and an
antenna 250 for the communication module 146. The functions of each
of these components are also described below.
With reference to FIG. 7, the antenna 250 is coupled to the front
surface of the main PCB 224 and operatively connected to the
communication module 146, which is coupled to the rear surface of
the main PCB 224 (FIG. 11). The microphone 150, which may also be
coupled to the front surface of the main PCB 224, is located near
the opening 218 (FIG. 4) in the upper portion 214 of the shield 192
so that sounds emanating from the area around the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 can pass through the opening 218 and be
detected by the microphone 150. With reference to FIG. 13, the
speaker chamber 248 is located near the bottom of the enclosure
180. The speaker chamber 248 comprises a hollow enclosure in which
the speaker 152 is located. The hollow speaker chamber 248
amplifies the sounds made by the speaker 152 so that they can be
better heard by a visitor in the area near the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130. With reference to FIGS. 5 and 13, the
lower surface 252 of the shell 184 and the lower surface (not
shown) of the enclosure 180 may include an acoustical opening 254
through which the sounds made by the speaker 152 can pass so that
they can be better heard by a visitor in the area near the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130. In the illustrated
embodiment, the acoustical opening 254 is shaped generally as a
rectangle having a length extending substantially across the lower
surface 252 of the shell 184 (and also the enclosure 180). The
illustrated shape is, however, just one example. With reference to
FIG. 5, the lower surface 252 of the shell 184 may further include
an opening 256 for receiving a security screw (not shown). The
security screw may extend through the opening 256 and into a
similarly located opening in the enclosure 180 to secure the shell
184 to the enclosure 180. If the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 is mounted to a mounting bracket (not shown), the
security screw may also maintain the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 on the mounting bracket.
With reference to FIG. 13, the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 may further include a battery heater 258. The present
A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 is configured for
outdoor use, including in cold climates. Cold temperatures,
however, can cause negative performance issues for rechargeable
batteries, such as reduced energy capacity, increased internal
resistance, reduced ability to charge without damage, and reduced
ability to supply load current. The battery heater 258 helps to
keep the rechargeable battery 142 warm in order to reduce or
eliminate the foregoing negative performance issues. In the
illustrated embodiment, the battery heater 258 comprises a
substantially flat, thin sheet abutting a side surface of the
rechargeable battery 142. The battery heater 258 may comprise, for
example, an electrically resistive heating element that produces
heat when electrical current is passed through it. The battery
heater 258 may thus be operatively coupled to the power manager 140
and/or the power sequencer 144 (FIG. 12). In some embodiments, the
rechargeable battery 142 may include a thermally sensitive resistor
("thermistor," not shown) operatively connected to the processor
160 so that the battery 142's temperature can be monitored and the
amount of power supplied to the battery heater 258 can be
adaptively controlled to keep the rechargeable battery 142 within a
desired temperature range.
As described above, the present embodiments advantageously limit
the power consumption of the A/V recording and communication
doorbell to an amount that is below the threshold necessary for
causing the signaling device to sound (except when the front button
of the doorbell is pressed). The present A/V recording and
communication doorbell can thus be connected to the existing
household AC power supply and the existing signaling device without
causing inadvertent sounding of the signaling device.
Several advantages flow from the ability of the present embodiments
to be connected to the existing household AC power supply. For
example, the camera of the present A/V recording and communication
doorbell can be powered on continuously. In a typical
battery-powered A/V recording and communication doorbell, the
camera is powered on only part of the time so that the battery does
not drain too rapidly. The present embodiments, by contrast, do not
rely on a battery as a primary (or sole) power supply, and are thus
able to keep the camera powered on continuously. Because the camera
is able to be powered on continuously, it can always be recording,
and recorded footage can be continuously stored in a rolling buffer
and/or a sliding window. In some embodiments, about 10-15 seconds
of recorded footage can be continuously stored in the rolling
buffer and/or the sliding window. The buffered video footage may be
accompanied by buffered audio, as the microphone 150 may also be
powered on continuously and always capturing audio. Also because
the camera is able to be powered on continuously, it can be used
for motion detection, thus eliminating any need for a separate
motion detection device, such as a passive infrared sensor (PIR).
Eliminating the PIR simplifies the design of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell and enables the doorbell to be made more
compact. Also because the camera is able to be powered on
continuously, it can be used as a light detector for use in
controlling the current state of the IR cut filter and turning the
IR LED on and off. Using the camera as a light detector eliminates
any need for a separate light detector, thereby further simplifying
the design of the A/V recording and communication doorbell and
enabling the doorbell to be made even more compact.
As discussed above, one aspect of the present embodiments includes
the realization that current techniques for recording A/V footage
with A/V recording and communication devices frequently do not
capture high-quality A/V footage because of limitations in
available streaming bandwidth at the time the A/V footage is
captured, and/or because of lost packets in the data stream. The
present embodiments solve this problem by decoupling the streaming
A/V signal from the recorded A/V signal, and uploading the video
footage from the recorded A/V signal after the call between the A/V
recording and communication device and the user's client device has
terminated.
FIG. 14 illustrates one embodiment of a process according to the
present embodiments. In the process of FIG. 14, an A/V recording
and communication device records video footage, streams video
footage to a user's client device, and uploads video footage to a
remote storage device. The process advantageously decouples a
streaming video signal, which is sent to the user's client device,
from a stored video signal, which is stored at a local memory of
the A/V recording and communication device and later uploaded to
the cloud (the remote storage device). The stored video signal is
thus high-quality, regardless of the available network bit rate at
the time the streaming video signal is sent to the user's client
device. When the locally stored high-quality video is later
uploaded to the remote storage device, its high-quality can be
preserved, regardless of the available network bit rate at the time
of upload, because it doesn't matter how much time is required to
complete the upload. In prior art processes, by contrast, the video
footage that is uploaded to the remote storage device is the same
as the video footage that is streamed to the user's client device.
The streamed video footage oftentimes is low-quality, because the
video quality must be reduced to provide a usable video stream to
the user's client device at times when the available network bit
rate is relatively low. Because the uploaded video footage is the
same as the streamed video footage, when the streamed video footage
is low-quality, so too is the uploaded video footage. The present
embodiments overcome this problem and consistently provide
high-quality uploaded video footage that can be preserved for later
viewing, such as by law enforcement to aid in the identification of
criminals, which can lead to lower crime rates and safer
neighborhoods. The high-quality stored video signal may include a
high framerate, a high bitrate, and/or a high image resolution
(such as 720p or 1080p or better).
In the process of FIG. 14, the A/V recording and communication
device may comprise the A/V recording and communication doorbell
130 illustrated in FIGS. 3-13 and/or the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 2. The
process of FIG. 14 is, however, applicable to other A/V recording
and communication devices. With reference to FIG. 14, the process
begins at block B300 when the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 records video images and audio using the camera 154
and the microphone 150, respectively. As discussed above, in some
embodiments the camera 154 of the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 may always be recording, and recorded footage, such as
about 10-15 seconds of footage, may be continuously stored in a
rolling buffer and/or a sliding window. The memory 122, for
example, may comprise a rolling buffer and/or a sliding window.
Although described herein using memory 122 of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 100, in various embodiments, the memory 172
and/or the non-volatile memory 174 of the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130, may perform the same functions of
memory 122, as further described below. The buffered video footage
may be accompanied by buffered audio, as the microphone 150 may
also be powered on continuously and always capturing audio. Thus,
at block B302, the recorded video images and audio are stored in
the memory 122 in a first audio/video (A/V) signal, also referred
to as a stored A/V signal. The stored A/V signal includes
high-quality video images, at least because the quality of the
video in the stored A/V signal is not dependent upon an available
network bit rate. The video images can thus be stored in the memory
122 at a constant bit rate. In some embodiments, the video images
may be stored in the memory 122 at a bit rate of at least 2 Mbit/s,
such as 4 Mbit/s, or 8 Mbit/s.
In some embodiments, the audio information and the video
information in the first A/V signal may be separate streams. That
is, the first A/V signal may comprise an audio stream (or first
audio signal) and a separate video stream (or first video
signal).
The process then moves to block B304, where the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 detects a person. Detecting the person
at the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 may comprise,
for example, the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130
detecting motion within its field of view and/or detecting that the
front button 148 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell
130 has been pressed. As discussed above, some embodiments of the
A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 use the camera 154 for
motion detection, and do not include a separate motion detection
device, such as a passive infrared sensor (PIR). It should be
understood, however, that the present embodiments are not limited
to A/V recording and communication devices that do not include a
separate motion detection device. Thus, for example, detecting the
person at the A/V recording and communication device may comprise
detecting motion using a separate motion detection device, such as
one or more PIRs.
With further reference to FIG. 14, at block B306, in response to
detecting the person at the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130, the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130
continues storing the recorded video images and audio in the memory
122 in the first (stored) A/V signal. For example, the recorded
video images may include images of the person detected at the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130. The video and audio
captured after the person is detected, and that is included in the
first A/V signal, may continue to be stored in the memory 122 for
as long as the detected person remains at the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130. For example, if a call is connected
between the visitor and the user, the information in the first A/V
signal may continue to be stored in the memory 122 for as long as
the call lasts. Alternatively, even if a call is not connected
between the visitor and the user, the information in the first A/V
signal may continue to be stored in the memory 122 for as long as
the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 continues to
detect motion, or until a timer expires. The video and audio
captured after the person is detected may be combined with the
video and audio that was captured before the person was detected
and that was stored in the rolling buffer in the first A/V
signal.
With further reference to FIG. 14, at block B308, the process
determines an available network bit rate for video streaming. In
one non-limiting example embodiment, the determination of the
available network bit rate for video streaming may include a
feedback mechanism between the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 and the application server 118. The feedback mechanism
may determine packet loss and then use that information to change
the bit rate and/or frame rate. The feedback mechanism may be built
into the streaming protocol, for example. In one non-limiting
example embodiment, the streaming protocol may comprise Real Time
Streaming Protocol (RTSP). One or more components of the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 may be used in the
feedback mechanism, such as the controller/processor 160.
If, at block B308, the process determines that the available
network bit rate for video streaming is above a threshold, then the
process moves to block B310, where audio captured by the microphone
150 and high-quality video images recorded by the camera 154 are
streamed (transmitted) from the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 to the user's client device 114 in a second A/V
signal. In non-limiting example embodiments, the threshold network
bit rate may be about 600 kbps, or about 800 kbps, or about 1 Mbps,
or any other number. Also at block B310, an alert is transmitted to
the user's client device 114. The alert may provide the user at the
client device 114 with an audible tone and/or a vibration signal
that alerts the user to the streaming video images on the display
of the client device 114.
In some embodiments, the audio information and the video
information in the second A/V signal may be separate streams. That
is, the second A/V signal may comprise an audio stream (or second
audio signal) and a separate video stream (or second video
signal).
The process then moves to block B312, where the process determines
whether the user has answered the alert. If it is determined that
the user has answered the alert, then the process moves to block
B314, where a call is connected between the visitor at the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 and the user at the client
device 114. When the call between the visitor and the user is
completed, the process moves to block B316, where the call is
terminated (hangup). The process then moves to block B318, where
the high-quality video and audio that was stored at the memory 122
at block B306 is uploaded to the cloud, such as the remote storage
device 116 in FIG. 1A, in a third A/V signal. At blocks B308-B314,
the high-quality video and audio captured by the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 continues to be stored at the memory
122. Thus, at block B318, all of the high-quality video and audio
that was stored at the memory 122 at blocks B306-B314 may be
uploaded to the cloud. During the upload process, the high-quality
and/or high bit rate of the stored video may be preserved, because
there is no requirement for the upload process to be completed
quickly due to the decoupling of the uploaded video information
from the video that was earlier streamed to the user's client
device 114.
Referring back to block B312, if it is determined that the user has
not answered the alert, then the process moves to block B320, where
the streaming video sent to the user's client device 114 is
terminated (hangup). The process then moves to block B322, where
the video and audio that was stored at the memory 122 at block B306
is uploaded to the cloud, such as the remote storage device 116 in
FIG. 1A, in a third A/V signal. At blocks B308-B312, the video and
audio captured by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130
continues to be stored at the memory 122. Thus, at block B322, all
of the video and audio that was stored at the memory 122 at blocks
B306-B312 may be uploaded to the cloud. During the upload process,
the high-quality and/or high bit rate of the stored video may be
preserved, because there is no requirement for the upload process
to be completed quickly due to the decoupling of the uploaded video
information from the video that was earlier streamed to the user's
client device 114. The high-quality of the stored video may include
a high framerate, a high bitrate, and/or a high image resolution
(such as 720p or 1080p or better).
Referring back to block B308, if it is determined that the
available network bit rate for video streaming is below the
threshold, then the process moves to block B324, where audio
captured by the microphone 150 and a low-quality version of the
video images recorded by the camera 154 are streamed (transmitted)
from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 to the user's
client device 114 in a second A/V signal. Also at block B310, an
alert is transmitted to the user's client device 114. The alert may
provide the user at the client device 114 with an audible tone
and/or a vibration signal that alerts the user to the streaming
video images on the display of the client device 114.
The process then moves to block B326, where the process determines
whether the user has answered the alert. If it is determined that
the user has answered the alert, then the process moves to block
B328, where a call is connected between the visitor at the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 and the user at the client
device 114. When the call between the visitor and the user is
completed, the process moves to block B330, where the call is
terminated (hangup). The process then moves to block B332, where
the high-quality video and audio that was stored at the memory 122
at block B306 is uploaded to the cloud, such as the remote storage
device 116 in FIG. 1A, in a third A/V signal. At blocks B308 and
B324-B328, the high-quality video and audio captured by the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 continues to be stored at
the memory 122. Thus, at block B332, all of the high-quality video
and audio that was stored at the memory 122 at blocks B306, B308,
and B324-B328 may be uploaded to the cloud. During the upload
process, the high-quality and/or high bit rate of the stored video
may be preserved, because there is no requirement for the upload
process to be completed quickly due to the decoupling of the
uploaded video information from the video that was earlier streamed
to the user's client device 114.
In some embodiments, the audio information and the video
information in the third A/V signal may be separate streams. That
is, the third A/V signal may comprise an audio stream (or third
audio signal) and a separate video stream (or third video
signal).
Referring back to block B326, if it is determined that the user has
not answered the alert, then the process moves to block B334, where
the streaming video sent to the user's client device 114 is
terminated (hangup). The process then moves to block B336, where
the video and audio that was stored at the memory 122 at block B306
is uploaded to the cloud, such as the remote storage device 116 in
FIG. 1A, in a third A/V signal. At blocks B308, B324, and B326, the
video and audio captured by the A/V recording and communication
doorbell 130 continues to be stored at the memory 122. Thus, at
block B336, all of the video and audio that was stored at the
memory 122 at blocks B306, B308, B324, and B326 may be uploaded to
the cloud. During the upload process, the high-quality and/or high
bit rate of the stored video may be preserved, because there is no
requirement for the upload process to be completed quickly due to
the decoupling of the uploaded video information from the video
that was earlier streamed to the user's client device 114. The
high-quality of the stored video may include a high framerate, a
high bitrate, and/or a high image resolution (such as 720p or 1080p
or better).
While not shown in FIG. 14, if the user answers the alert at block
B312 or at block B326 and the call is connected at block B314 or at
block B328, then the audio generated at the user's end (the audio
captured by the microphone of the user's client device 114) may be
stored and later uploaded. The uploaded user's audio may be
combined with the uploaded visitor's audio and stored at the remote
storage device 116. In one non-limiting example embodiment, the
application server 118 may combine the inbound audio stream from
the user's client device 114 and, in the case of multiple client
devices (where more than one user is connected to the call), the
application server 118 may combine all inbound audio streams from
the multiple client devices, and send that information to the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130. The A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 may then combine all the audio,
including the audio recorded by the microphone 150, and send the
audio to the remote storage device 116. In another non-limiting
example embodiment, the combining of the audio from the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 and the user's client
device(s) 114, and/or the making of the final audio file, may take
place in the cloud, such as at the remote storage device 116.
FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram illustrating a method for streaming
and storing A/V content captured by an A/V recording and
communication device according to the present embodiments. In the
sequence of FIG. 15, the A/V recording and communication device is
the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 illustrated in
FIGS. 3-13. The sequence of FIG. 15 is, however, applicable to
other A/V recording and communication devices.
The sequence of FIG. 15 may be initiated when the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 detects a person, such as described
above with respect to block B304. Of course, in the sequence of
FIG. 15 the aspects described above with respect to blocks B300 and
B302 may occur prior to the person being detected at the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130. With reference to FIG.
15, the video and audio captured by the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 is stored at the local memory 122 in the
first (stored) A/V signal 350. This aspect may be similar to the
aspects described above with respect to block B306. At about the
same time as, or close in time to, the video and audio captured by
the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 being stored at
the local memory 122 in the first A/V signal 350, the video and
audio captured by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130
is streamed (transmitted) to the user's client device 114 via the
application server 118 in the second A/V signal 352. This aspect
may be similar to the aspects described above with respect to
blocks B308, B310, and/or B324. Thus, at about the same time as, or
close in time to, the video and audio captured by the A/V recording
and communication doorbell 130 being streamed to the user's client
device 114 via the application server 118 in the second A/V signal
352, an alert may also be sent from the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 to the user's client device 114 via the
application server 118.
With further reference to FIG. 15, if the user answers the alert,
then a call is connected between the visitor at the A/V recording
and communication doorbell 130 and the user at the client device
114 (may be similar to the aspects described above with respect to
blocks B312, B314, B326, and/or B328) and the audio from the user's
client device 114 is streamed (transmitted) 354 to the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 via the application server
118. The call between the visitor at the A/V recording and
communication doorbell 130 and the user at the client device 114
may continue for any length of time (as represented by the break
lines in FIG. 15) until the user hangs up 356 or until the
application server 118 hangs up 358, which may happen, for example,
if the call between the A/V recording and communication doorbell
130 and the user's client device 114 times out.
With further reference to FIG. 15, after hangup 356, 358, the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 reads out the video and
audio stored at the A/V doorbell local memory 122 and then
transmits (uploads) the video and audio 360 from the A/V recording
and communication doorbell 130 to the remote storage device 116. In
some embodiments, the uploaded video and audio 360 may be
transmitted from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130
to the remote storage device 116 via the application server 118.
The user's audio captured by the microphone of the user's client
device 114 is also transmitted (uploaded) 362 from the application
server 118 to the remote storage device 116. The uploaded user's
audio 362 may be combined with the uploaded visitor's audio 360 at
the remote storage device 116.
In some embodiments, the process 360 of uploading the video and
audio stored at the A/V doorbell local memory 122 from the A/V
recording and communication doorbell 130 to the remote storage
device 116 uses a reliable data protocol, such as Transmission
Control Protocol (TCP). TCP is a core protocol of the Internet
protocol suite. TCP provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked
delivery of a stream of octets between applications running on
hosts communicating over an IP network. Because the upload process
360 uses a reliable data protocol, none of the packets are lost in
the upload process 360, resulting in a high-quality, complete copy
of the video and audio information stored at the local memory 122
of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130.
As described above, the present embodiments advantageously decouple
a streaming video signal, which is sent to a client device, from a
stored video signal, which is stored at local memory of the A/V
recording and communication device and later uploaded to the cloud
(the remote storage device). The stored video signal is thus
high-quality, regardless of the available network bit rate at the
time the streaming video signal is sent to the user's client
device. When the locally stored high-quality video is later
uploaded to the remote storage device, its high-quality can be
preserved, regardless of the available network bit rate at the time
of upload, because it doesn't matter how much time is required to
complete the upload. In prior art processes, by contrast, the video
footage that is uploaded to the remote storage device is the same
as the video footage that is streamed to the user's client device.
The streamed video footage oftentimes is low-quality, because the
video quality must be reduced to provide a usable video stream to
the user's client device at times when the available network bit
rate is relatively low. Because the uploaded video footage is the
same as the streamed video footage, when the streamed video footage
is low-quality, so too is the uploaded video footage. The present
embodiments overcome this problem and consistently provide
high-quality uploaded video footage that can be preserved for later
viewing, such as by law enforcement to aid in the identification of
criminals, which can lead to lower crime rates and safer
neighborhoods.
The present embodiments have been described with reference to the
A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 illustrated in FIGS.
3-13. It should be understood, however, that the present
embodiments are equally applicable to any A/V recording and
communication device that is capable of recording video footage
and/or audio and transmitting the recorded video footage and/or
audio over a wired and/or wireless network. In certain embodiments,
for example, the A/V recording and communication device may not be
a doorbell, but may be, for example, an A/V recording and
communication security camera.
FIG. 16 is a functional block diagram of a client device 800 on
which the present embodiments may be implemented according to
various aspects of the present disclosure. The user's client device
114 described with reference to FIG. 1A may include some or all of
the components and/or functionality of the client device 800. The
client device 800 may comprise, for example, a smartphone.
With reference to FIG. 16, the client device 800 includes a
processor 802, a memory 804, a user interface 806, a communication
module 808, and a dataport 810. These components are
communicatively coupled together by an interconnect bus 812. The
processor 802 may include any processor used in smartphones and/or
portable computing devices, such as an ARM processor (a processor
based on the RISC (reduced instruction set computer) architecture
developed by Advanced RISC Machines (ARM).). In some embodiments,
the processor 802 may include one or more other processors, such as
one or more conventional microprocessors, and/or one or more
supplementary co-processors, such as math co-processors.
The memory 804 may include both operating memory, such as random
access memory (RAM), as well as data storage, such as read-only
memory (ROM), hard drives, flash memory, or any other suitable
memory/storage element. The memory 804 may include removable memory
elements, such as a CompactFlash card, a MultiMediaCard (MMC),
and/or a Secure Digital (SD) card. In some embodiments, the memory
804 may comprise a combination of magnetic, optical, and/or
semiconductor memory, and may include, for example, RAM, ROM, flash
drive, and/or a hard disk or drive. The processor 802 and the
memory 804 each may be, for example, located entirely within a
single device, or may be connected to each other by a communication
medium, such as a USB port, a serial port cable, a coaxial cable,
an Ethernet-type cable, a telephone line, a radio frequency
transceiver, or other similar wireless or wired medium or
combination of the foregoing. For example, the processor 802 may be
connected to the memory 804 via the dataport 810.
The user interface 806 may include any user interface or
presentation elements suitable for a smartphone and/or a portable
computing device, such as a keypad, a display screen, a
touchscreen, a microphone, and a speaker. The communication module
808 is configured to handle communication links between the client
device 800 and other, external devices or receivers, and to route
incoming/outgoing data appropriately. For example, inbound data
from the dataport 810 may be routed through the communication
module 808 before being directed to the processor 802, and outbound
data from the processor 802 may be routed through the communication
module 808 before being directed to the dataport 810. The
communication module 808 may include one or more transceiver
modules capable of transmitting and receiving data, and using, for
example, one or more protocols and/or technologies, such as GSM,
UMTS (3GSM), IS-95 (CDMA one), IS-2000 (CDMA 2000), LTE, FDMA,
TDMA, W-CDMA, CDMA, OFDMA, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, or any other protocol
and/or technology.
The dataport 810 may be any type of connector used for physically
interfacing with a smartphone and/or a portable computing device,
such as a mini-USB port or an IPHONE.RTM./IPOD.RTM. 30-pin
connector or LIGHTNING.RTM. connector. In other embodiments, the
dataport 810 may include multiple communication channels for
simultaneous communication with, for example, other processors,
servers, and/or client terminals.
The memory 804 may store instructions for communicating with other
systems, such as a computer. The memory 804 may store, for example,
a program (e.g., computer program code) adapted to direct the
processor 802 in accordance with the present embodiments. The
instructions also may include program elements, such as an
operating system. While execution of sequences of instructions in
the program causes the processor 802 to perform the process steps
described herein, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of, or
in combination with, software/firmware instructions for
implementation of the processes of the present embodiments. Thus,
the present embodiments are not limited to any specific combination
of hardware and software.
FIG. 17 is a functional block diagram of a general-purpose
computing system on which the present embodiments may be
implemented according to various aspects of present disclosure. The
computer system 900 may execute at least some of the operations
described above. The computer system 900 may be embodied in at
least one of a personal computer (also referred to as a desktop
computer) 900A, a portable computer (also referred to as a laptop
or notebook computer) 900B, and/or a server 900C. A server is a
computer program and/or a machine that waits for requests from
other machines or software (clients) and responds to them. A server
typically processes data. The purpose of a server is to share data
and/or hardware and/or software resources among clients. This
architecture is called the client-server model. The clients may run
on the same computer or may connect to the server over a network.
Examples of computing servers include database servers, file
servers, mail servers, print servers, web servers, game servers,
and application servers. The term server may be construed broadly
to include any computerized process that shares a resource to one
or more client processes.
The computer system 900 may include at least one processor 910,
memory 920, at least one storage device 930, and input/output (I/O)
devices 940. Some or all of the components 910, 920, 930, 940 may
be interconnected via a system bus 950. The processor 910 may be
single- or multi-threaded and may have one or more cores. The
processor 910 may execute instructions, such as those stored in the
memory 920 and/or in the storage device 930. Information may be
received and output using one or more I/O devices 940.
The Memory 920 may store information, and may be a
computer-readable medium, such as volatile or non-volatile memory.
The storage device(s) 930 may provide storage for the system 900,
and may be a computer-readable medium. In various aspects, the
storage device(s) 930 may be a flash memory device, a hard disk
device, an optical disk device, a tape device, or any other type of
storage device.
The I/O devices 940 may provide input/output operations for the
system 900. The I/O devices 940 may include a keyboard, a pointing
device, and/or a microphone. The I/O devices 940 may further
include a display unit for displaying graphical user interfaces, a
speaker, and/or a printer. External data may be stored in one or
more accessible external databases 960.
The features of the present embodiments described herein may be
implemented in digital electronic circuitry, and/or in computer
hardware, firmware, software, and/or in combinations thereof.
Features of the present embodiments may be implemented in a
computer program product tangibly embodied in an information
carrier, such as a machine-readable storage device, and/or in a
propagated signal, for execution by a programmable processor.
Embodiments of the present method steps may be performed by a
programmable processor executing a program of instructions to
perform functions of the described implementations by operating on
input data and generating output.
The features of the present embodiments described herein may be
implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on
a programmable system including at least one programmable processor
coupled to receive data and/or instructions from, and to transmit
data and/or instructions to, a data storage system, at least one
input device, and at least one output device. A computer program
may include a set of instructions that may be used, directly or
indirectly, in a computer to perform a certain activity or bring
about a certain result. A computer program may be written in any
form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted
languages, and it may be deployed in any form, including as a
stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other
unit suitable for use in a computing environment.
Suitable processors for the execution of a program of instructions
may include, for example, both general and special purpose
processors, and/or the sole processor or one of multiple processors
of any kind of computer. Generally, a processor may receive
instructions and/or data from a read only memory (ROM), or a random
access memory (RAM), or both. Such a computer may include a
processor for executing instructions and one or more memories for
storing instructions and/or data.
Generally, a computer may also include, or be operatively coupled
to communicate with, one or more mass storage devices for storing
data files. Such devices include magnetic disks, such as internal
hard disks and/or removable disks, magneto-optical disks, and/or
optical disks. Storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying
computer program instructions and/or data may include all forms of
non-volatile memory, including for example semiconductor memory
devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices, magnetic
disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks,
magneto-optical disks, and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor
and the memory may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, one or
more ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits).
To provide for interaction with a user, the features of the present
embodiments may be implemented on a computer having a display
device, such as an LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for
displaying information to the user. The computer may further
include a keyboard, a pointing device, such as a mouse or a
trackball, and/or a touchscreen by which the user may provide input
to the computer.
The features of the present embodiments may be implemented in a
computer system that includes a back-end component, such as a data
server, and/or that includes a middleware component, such as an
application server or an Internet server, and/or that includes a
front-end component, such as a client computer having a graphical
user interface (GUI) and/or an Internet browser, or any combination
of these. The components of the system may be connected by any form
or medium of digital data communication, such as a communication
network. Examples of communication networks may include, for
example, a LAN (local area network), a WAN (wide area network),
and/or the computers and networks forming the Internet.
The computer system may include clients and servers. A client and
server may be remote from each other and interact through a
network, such as those described herein. The relationship of client
and server may arise by virtue of computer programs running on the
respective computers and having a client-server relationship to
each other.
The above description presents the best mode contemplated for
carrying out the present embodiments, and of the manner and process
of practicing them, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms
as to enable any person skilled in the art to which they pertain to
practice these embodiments. The present embodiments are, however,
susceptible to modifications and alternate constructions from those
discussed above that are fully equivalent. Consequently, the
present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments
disclosed. On the contrary, the present invention covers all
modifications and alternate constructions coming within the spirit
and scope of the present disclosure. For example, the steps in the
processes described herein need not be performed in the same order
as they have been presented, and may be performed in any
order(s).
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